Hey you guys! So for today’s review i’ll be writing on a gem from lakme’s range of cheek chromatic baked blushes, in the shade Night Sparkle. Anshita did a review on the shade Day Blushes from the same range sometime back. Baked blushes are my all time favorite, mostly because they tend to be a two in one, with a highlight built in. With the finish, the formulation, the gorgeous glow they reflect, baked blushes are the holy grail of summer blushes for me. So how did it fare? Let’s look at the review and swatches.

Price : Rs.500, which is okay-ish. Not as cheap as the maybelline cheeky glow, but it’s brilliant, and completely worth it.

Packaging : The packaging for the lakme blush is absolutely gorgeous! The glossy , sturdy flip open case , is everything you’d expect from the lakme’ absolute range in terms of packaging. It’s functional, inviting and appealing.

Texture : The texture for the lakme absolute baked blush is more on the baked eyeshadow side. A general rule of thumb for baked products is that their pigmentation is not as impressive used straight out of the pan, as it is when used wet. The finish for baked blushes when used wet is generally, a highlighting sheen over the pigment. It feels like satin and is very smooth on swatching. The baked blush applies evenly (i had some patching issues with the cheeky glow blushes) and blends out very well. It’s formulation for the milled glitter is slightly chunky, but if applied wet, it’s the epitome of a perfect highlight with a hint of a healthy pink base-shade.

Pigmentation: The shade night sparkle, is a cross between chestnut and a very slight hint of crimson (which is just my fancy way of implying it’s a deep pink with some brown tones ) in the pan . the application is a whole other issue though. The deep pink doesn’t transfer to the cheeks as well as it should, mostly because of the gold- pink glitter overspray . It adds a wonderful , healthy sheen to the blush in a bright faint- pink tone, but it also , unfortunately undermines the colour payoff. Applied wet, you do get better bank for your buck and the pigmentation is much more intense. (again, general rule of thumb with baked blushes )

Longevity: The lakme absolute blush lasts over 6 hours (applied wet ) , though it does significantly fade away through the day. It doesn’t wear off patchy like powder blushes tend to , and looks beautiful all the way through.

How I like to use the Lakme Baked Blush:

It makes a wonderful shadow, for the centre of the lid.

If i do wear my bolder coloured matte blushes (ideally pinks) , i tend to use it as a highlight .

By itself , obviously enough, although i find it to be more night time appropriate (especially when used wet) because of the formulation, intensity of the highlight and the finish.

The retail price ought to have been slightly lower , although, i can live with it considering how great it is .

The shimmer ought to have been finer, and more subtle with the colour coming through the highlight better.

Price in India: Rs.550

VNA Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy Online in India: jabong.com

VERDICT? It’s worth a buy, if this is your thing. It’s a beautiful shade (if you’re able to sport anything this starkly reflective during the day time) , but If you’re looking for an everyday wear blush that doesn’t highlight as much, faces, maybelline and colorbar offer matte and less subtle versions which are worth looking into. As for me? i’ll probably get a baked terracotta one from this range.